Author: Hannah McCurley

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Team Training Swap

Stampin' Up! UK Number of Years team training swap

This past Sunday I attended Michelle Last’s team training event in Northamptonshire. I LOVE attending Stampin’ Up! events, either corporate organised or events arranged by demonstrators, they are always wonderful and a great excuse to spend the day with lovely people, crafting and eating cake!

I set off from home at 6AM (yes, it felt very early!) and got on completely deserted roads travelling southbound. I did stop once, needed some breakfast! but arrived just after 09:30 in time for our 10AM start.

I have talked before about swaps, and I love swapping crafty ideas with other demonstrators. This time Michelle had asked us to make only 6 swaps, as we swapped in smaller groups to make it a little more manageable for everyone. I’m already planning my swaps for April’s On Stage Local event in Telford, and I have to admit, making 6 swaps was way way quicker than making 40+!

Stampin' Up! UK Number of Years team training swap

Its not very often I use black in my card making, but for me the whole point of attending these events is to push myself out of my comfort zone! So, here I am with a Black card base, Basic Grey embossed panel, and Mint Macaron stamped piece. I think the ‘Look who’s turning’ sentiment is great, and the ‘(again)’ just makes me giggle. My dad celebrates the anniversary of his 21st birthday every year (rather than admit quite how old he is!) and so I think this card might have to make a reappearance for his birthday this year!

Stampin' Up! UK Number of Years 21 again birthday card

I had great fun making these cards as my swap, but not as much fun as I had card making at the event!

Pinkies team training make and takes

One of the great things about attending training days with other demonstrators is getting the chance to use products you haven’t got round to buying yet! and this weekend I used an Aqua painter for the first time, what a difference – they are awesome! I’m not sure that I won’t still reach for my paint brush once in a while, but I am converted! Aqua painters are the way to go!

Stampin' Up! UK Paula Gorry

We were joined by the fabulous Paula Gorry from the Stampin’ Up! UK office at training this weekend, and she was kind enough to bring each and every person a swap card! It’s already on my wall of inspiration 🙂

How you all had a great weekend, I’m sorting out thank you cards and hostess gifts ready for posting tomorrow, probably should get back to it….

Stampin' Up! UK Starter kit join now

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To purchase any of the items featured in my projects please use the links above. To join my team of Stampin’ Friends select ‘Join My Team’ or send me a message!

Please support StampinByHannah, and join my Code Club, by using the Hostess code featured in the top right hand of my blog. For orders of over £150 please do not use this code, as you are entitled to your own Hostess benefits!

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Hannah McCurley

Stampin’ Up! UK Independent Demonstrator

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Beautiful Ride…. Man’s birthday card

Stampin' Up! UK Beautiful Ride mans birthday card

I think most of us struggle to make cards for the men in our lives, I do have a plan for this – I have a class featuring men’s card ideas coming up in April, and am planning for a couple of ‘mens cards weeks’ coming too! But, I think Stampin’ Up! are making it easier and easier for us to make wonderful cards for men!

Stampin' Up! UK Beautiful Ride mans birthday card

I made this card with a man in mind, one of my best friends husbands – who is car mad! To be honest, he’s a mini fan, so really I’m failing on this one. But I have made him cards with mini’s on for the past few years but Stampin’ Up! don’t make a mini stamp! So, a bug it is, and I’m sticking with it! It’s in the right colour, who cares about the car, right?! (ok, so maybe the actual car is important, but I’m a woman – and a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator – so colour is much more important!)

Stampin' Up! UK Beautiful Ride

This particular car can be found in the Beautiful Ride stamp set in this years Spring Summer Catalogue. It comes with some great sentiments for house moves, congratulations and wedding, but I wanted Birthday – so I turned to a trusty friend (Crazy About You) for the Happy Birthday.

The Car is coloured with a blender pen and Pacific Point, with Basic Black for the tyres and Pool Party for the windows. You have to be careful when using a Blender Pen (which I haven’t been here!) to avoid streaky lines (which I quite like!) and piling of the card stock. Piling is where the card becomes all sort of bobbly, and it happens when it gets too wet. The trick is to pick up lots of ink on your Blender Pen and to work quickly. I find that using a Blender Pen on Vellum is much easier (a technique I MUST do again soon!) but I didn’t want soft vellum on a mans card!

Stampin' Up! UK Boys Birthday card cars

To finish this one I painted a swish of Smoky Slate, and added 5 sequins from the Brights Sequin Assortment.

Stampin' Up! Sale-a-bration Celebration event

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To purchase any of the items featured in my projects please use the links above. To join my team of Stampin’ Friends select ‘Join My Team’ or send me a message!

Please support StampinByHannah, and join my Code Club, by using the Hostess code featured in the top right hand of my blog. For orders of over £150 please do not use this code, as you are entitled to your own Hostess benefits!

Sign up to my newsletter here – http://eepurl.com/2if59

Hannah McCurley

Stampin’ Up! UK Independent Demonstrator

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Hello Flowering Fields

Stampin' Up! Flower Fields Sale-a-bration Card

I’m loving this years Sale-a-bration event. I really must day ‘Thanks’ to each and every person who has chosen to shop with me for the first time this year, I had a bumper January, and am hoping that this year is going to be awesome. I always send Thank You cards to those who choose to shop with me, with an extra special something for people who use my Code Club Code. If you haven’t received a card from me it may be that you have selected ‘No Contact’, if you think you have missed out, please drop me a message!

Stampin' Up! Flower Fields Sale-a-bration Card

This card uses one of my Sale-a-bration favourites, Flowering Fields. Stamped in Old Olive, Melon Mambo and Rich Razzleberry, with a piece of the coordinating Designer Series Paper Wildflower Fields.

The ‘Hello’ is from the Tin of Cards stamp set; I’m loving this font! I’m a sucker for a good font, and Stampin’ Up! are really knocking it out of the park with typefaces at the moment, just stunning. The Hello is stamped in Rich Razzleberry on a piece of Whisper White punched out with the 1 1/4″ circle punch. I’ve done a bit of punch layering (unusual for me) with a 1 3/8″ Old Olive circle and a Rich Razzleberry Scallop Circle in the 1 3/4″ size. Very pretty

Stampin' Up! Flowering Fields Hello

I added a piece of Whisper White Satin Ribbon and a bow to finish

Don’t forget to shop using the Code Club Code to receive some great FREE product!

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I will be closing this order on the 23rd February 2016

Shop Now button-001Join my team button-001

To purchase any of the items featured in my projects please use the links above. To join my team of Stampin’ Friends select ‘Join My Team’ or send me a message!

Please support StampinByHannah, and join my Code Club, by using the Hostess code featured in the top right hand of my blog. For orders of over £150 please do not use this code, as you are entitled to your own Hostess benefits!

Sign up to my newsletter here – http://eepurl.com/2if59

Hannah McCurley

Stampin’ Up! UK Independent Demonstrator

 

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Team Training Make and Take

Stampin' Up! Sale-a-bration Thank You

Hello!

Did you know that each month I host a stamping event for those in my group of Stampin’ Friends (and any other demonstrators in my local area, drop me a message if you are a demonstrator and which is come!) I charge £5 for the event to cover the cost of a few make and takes and a bit of training (if anyone wants any! last time we had too much fun stamping!)

Stampin' Up! Uk Team Training Make and Takes

We had great fun stamping these cards with the great products available for FREE during Sale-a-bration! There are some awesome offers during Sale-a-bration this year, grab one of 11 products for FREE when you spend £45 (if you spend £90 you get to choose 2 FREE goodies!), or host a party and earn extra Stampin’ Rewards that you can spend on ANYTHING in either of our current catalogues! Or, maybe you want to come along to one of our Stampin’ Friends meetings, to join us you need to buy the Stampin’ Up! Starter kit – the greatest deal ever! – just £99 and choose up to £160 worth of goodies from the catalogues PLUS get 20% off all further purchases! Awesome right!

Oh, before I go though, I just want to let you know that that awesome ‘Hello’ stamp set is only available until the 15th of February, or while stocks last! so grab it quick!

Stampin' Up! UK Starter kit join now

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To purchase any of the items featured in my projects please use the links above. To join my team of Stampin’ Friends select ‘Join My Team’ or send me a message!

Please support StampinByHannah, and join my Code Club, by using the Hostess code featured in the top right hand of my blog. For orders of over £150 please do not use this code, as you are entitled to your own Hostess benefits!

Sign up to my newsletter here – http://eepurl.com/2if59

Hannah McCurley

Stampin’ Up! UK Independent Demonstrator

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The Love Between Us Knows No Distance

Stampin' Up! UK Going Global Valentines card

Seeing as now February is now here, it is definitely time for some Valentines projects! Regular readers of my blog will know that I got married last year, and so this year is my first Valentines day as a married woman, saying that I’m sure its not going to be any different from any other year where we do absolutely nothing or are both working 12 hour shifts!

Stampin' Up! UK Going Global Valentines card

Still, I do need a card right?! well, I think this is the third Valentines card I have posted on the blog this year, so I might save this one for our dating anniversary in April (yes, we celebrate two anniversaries!)

I made this card in about 10 minutes, messing around with ink at the end of my most recent group stamping event. I host a stamping event for my group of Stampin’ Friends each month where we get together, stamp and natter about all things Stampin’ Up! This month we made a heap of cards using our Sale-a-bration goodies (some of which I’ll share later in the week) but I was waffling about watercolouring, and how you really don’t need to buy Watercolour paper (although ours is an awesome addition to your card making), I really enjoying watercolouring on ‘flat’ card stock like our Shimmery White card stock, or this which is our Whisper White Thick card stock (the Thick is important, as the standard weight is a bit thin and tends to warp a little too much for my liking)

Stampin' Up! UK Going Global WatercolourAnyway, I watercoloured this patch of Tempting Turquiose just to demonstrate that Whisper White Thick card stock is a great medium for water colour, and then this card happened!

The stamp set is Going Global, wonderful for a Valentines card for the man in your life (no flowers!) stamped in Basic Black Archival ink (watercolour safe!). I watercolored the banner in Real Red, and added a spatter of Wink of Stella in Gold before calling my master piece complete!

What are you making for your love this Valentines?

Stampin' Up! UK Birthday Blooms Card Class

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To purchase any of the items featured in my projects please use the links above. To join my team of Stampin’ Friends select ‘Join My Team’ or send me a message!

Please support StampinByHannah, and join my Code Club, by using the Hostess code featured in the top right hand of my blog. For orders of over £150 please do not use this code, as you are entitled to your own Hostess benefits!

Sign up to my newsletter here – http://eepurl.com/2if59

Hannah McCurley

Stampin’ Up! UK Independent Demonstrator

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Celebrate….

Stampin' Up! UK Celebrate Suite Sayings Birthday Blooms

Over the past few months I have been trying to make cards with bright colours (trying to stave off the winter blues!) but I found myself making a monotone card last week. Does this happen to anyone else, when a project just arrives fully formed on the desk and you have no real idea how the hell it got there! It doesn’t happen often, but its wonderful when it does

Stampin' Up! UK Celebrate Suite Sayings Birthday Blooms

I spotted a card on Pinterest a few weeks ago that just used this one flower from Birthday Blooms. I have to admit that I had to go and look for the stamp, because I had completely over looked it! Shocking! I love a simple line image, and this is just perfect stamped in Early Espresso and blurred slightly with a blender pen.

You might recognise the sentiment, its from Suite Sayings (again, I know, I’m in love ok!), the stamp usually reads Celebrate You but I masked off the You with some of my trusty sticky label tape before inking in Early Espresso. I love this way of getting more out of your sentiment stamps, but y remember to remove that stick label before stamping or you may end up with an inky mess

Stampin' Up! UK Birthday Blooms monotone card

Even though the rest of the card is Early Espresso and Very Vanilla, I think the addition of the Typeset map paper matt really adds to this one. I’m still working my way through a backlog of Designer Series Paper, I do have a plan for most of it though, just got to find the time to make a heap of cards!

Don’t forget to shop using the Code Club Code to receive some great FREE product!

NCWC9FM6

I will be closing this order on the 23rd Febrary 2016

Shop Now button-001Join my team button-001

To purchase any of the items featured in my projects please use the links above. To join my team of Stampin’ Friends select ‘Join My Team’ or send me a message!

Please support StampinByHannah, and join my Code Club, by using the Hostess code featured in the top right hand of my blog. For orders of over £150 please do not use this code, as you are entitled to your own Hostess benefits!

Sign up to my newsletter here – http://eepurl.com/2if59

Hannah McCurley

Stampin’ Up! UK Independent Demonstrator

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Simply Sketched Saturday Challenge Blog Hop – The return!

Stampin' Up! UK Sketch Challenge time for tea

Stampin' Up! Sketch Challenge

Well, I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas / New Year break. I have been super busy with the day job, things are a bit insane over Christmas (I think I managed to get 3 days off over the festive fortnight!) but everything is dying down again now, and I’ve had this past week off to recover!

I’ve missed doing our fortnightly challenges (although I have no idea how I would have fit them in!) and am so pleased to be back blogging with these wonderful ladies again.

Stampin' Up! UK Simply Sketch Saturday Challenge

This wonderful sketch has been set by the lovely Cat Burchmore, and was definitely a tricky design recreate.

Stampin' Up! UK Sketch Challenge time for tea

I hadn’t realised quite how many different bits and bobs I had used on this card until I sat down to write this post. Initially I set out to make a card using the A Nice Cuppa stamp and die bundle. But it turns out that although I used the tea pot die, I haven’t used anything else from that suite of products! Instead I have jump all over the Spring / Summer catalogue to collect items for this card!

The Designer Series Paper is called Birthday Bouquet, and features some gorgeous birthday themed and floral prints. The Happy Birthday is taken from Balloon Celebration, another stamp set that comes in a bundle (a fabulous balloon punch!) and then there is an embossing folder, sequin trim and metal rimmed pearls!

Oh well, I love it!

Simply Sketched NextSimply Sketched Previous

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To purchase any of the items featured in my projects please use the links above. To join my team of Stampin’ Friends select ‘Join My Team’ or send me a message!

Please support StampinByHannah, and join my Code Club, by using the Hostess code featured in the top right hand of my blog. For orders of over £150 please do not use this code, as you are entitled to your own Hostess benefits!

Sign up to my newsletter here – http://eepurl.com/2if59

Hannah McCurley

Stampin’ Up! UK Independent Demonstrator

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They say its your birthday….

Stampin' Up! UK Flower Patch Suite Sayings

A few weeks ago I made a heap of cards whilst catching up on some very important TV (so important I can’t remember what I was watching!) and this card was the outcome!

Stampin' Up! UK Suite Sayings Flower Patch Birthday card

I don’t usually craft in front of the TV, and so I’m blaming distraction for the slightly imperfect stamping!

I’ve been totally inspired by Pinterest and the flood of Pins using the Brand New Botanical Blooms stamps and dies, however, even as a demonstrator, I can’t have everything and this set hasn’t found a home on my stamp shelf just yet. But I do have the Flower Patch stamp set and matching Flower Fair dies. Stampin' Up! UK Flower Patch Suite Sayings

The sentiment is from another new stamp set, Suite Sayings.

I love a bright and colourful card on a gloomy winter day, don’t you?

Don’t forget to shop using the Code Club Code to receive some great FREE product!

NCWC9FM6

I will be closing this order on the 23rd Mar 2016

Shop Now button-001Join my team button-001

To purchase any of the items featured in my projects please use the links above. To join my team of Stampin’ Friends select ‘Join My Team’ or send me a message!

Please support StampinByHannah, and join my Code Club, by using the Hostess code featured in the top right hand of my blog. For orders of over £150 please do not use this code, as you are entitled to your own Hostess benefits!

Sign up to my newsletter here – http://eepurl.com/2if59

Hannah McCurley

Stampin’ Up! UK Independent Demonstrator

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Love Ya

Stampin Up! UK Everything Eleanor Valentines

With the end of January fast approaching, its almost time to start thinking about Valentines day! Here in the UK we only send one Valentines card (along with a gift, maybe) to our most loved one. I remember as a kid sending anonymous Valentines cards to my latest crush via a school post box that was rolled out for occasions such as Valentines and Christmas. Saying that I have made several Valentines cards so far this year, a girl has to have options!

Stampin Up! UK Everything Eleanor Valentines

This card was inspired by a gorgeous Valentines Project from one of this years Artisan Design Team, Steffi Helmschrott, from Germany. I loved her use of watercolour to create a soft background for her card, and took layout inspiration too

Steffi used the gorgeous First Sight stamp set for her card, but I have yet to get my hands on that, so I grabbed for my ever faithful Everything Eleanor instead. I love the swirl stamp in this set, its lovely for wedding stationary and wedding congratulations cards.

Stampin Up! UK Valentines card 2016

You all know how much I love watercolouring, and adore our Watercolour Paper, but for this card I wanted something a little softer and so opted for Shimmery White card stock instead. I heat embossed that swirl in Clear Embossing powder, before adding washes of Blackberry Bliss ink with a large flat paintbrush. This card took a while as each layer dried, but the effect was totally worth it.

The ‘Love Ya’ comes from a Hostess Exclusive set, Floral Wings, from this years Annual catalogue (which is still have left, if you want one let me know!). Stamped in Blackberry Bliss ink and repeatedly heat embossed in Clear embossing powder (I think there are 3 layers of embossing here!) and the card is finished with a Sweetheart (punched) in Blackberry Bliss and some loops of Whisper White bakers twine

Stampin' Up! Sale-a-bration Celebration event

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To purchase any of the items featured in my projects please use the links above. To join my team of Stampin’ Friends select ‘Join My Team’ or send me a message!

Please support StampinByHannah, and join my Code Club, by using the Hostess code featured in the top right hand of my blog. For orders of over £150 please do not use this code, as you are entitled to your own Hostess benefits!

Sign up to my newsletter here – http://eepurl.com/2if59

Hannah McCurley

Stampin’ Up! UK Independent Demonstrator

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Watercolour Birthday Blooms

Stampin' Up! UK Watercolour birthday blooms

I have mentioned before how much I love playing with inks and water, but doing actual watercolouring is usually a bit beyond me …. or so I thought! Stampin' Up! UK Watercolour birthday blooms

I’ve been loving Rose Red over the past few weeks, and the colour totally inspired this card. I love how you can change the intensity of Stampin’ Up!® inks by adding water, and so when you’re using the inks to watercolour you get all sorts of variations in colour. The flower is coloured using only Rose Red ink, but you can see how many shades of pink there are in that one flower, with just one ink! Awesome!

The flower is stamped in the Archival Basic Black ink, which is great for watercolouring, although it will stain you stamps more than the traditional Classic ink. This is now my go to black, its beautiful, crisp and a true black.

Stampin' Up! Uk Birthday Blooms Watercolour

The leaves are watercoloured with Pear Pizzazz ink, and a halo of blue added around the flower with Pool Party

The Happy Birthday, taken from Butterfly Basics, is stamped onto Vellum, and added to the card by wrapping the vellum around the card stock.

Don’t forget to shop using the Code Club Code to receive some great FREE product!

7MBTUTJVN

I will be closing this order on the 30th January 2016

Shop Now button-001Join my team button-001

To purchase any of the items featured in my projects please use the links above. To join my team of Stampin’ Friends select ‘Join My Team’ or send me a message!

Please support StampinByHannah, and join my Code Club, by using the Hostess code featured in the top right hand of my blog. For orders of over £150 please do not use this code, as you are entitled to your own Hostess benefits!

Sign up to my newsletter here – http://eepurl.com/2if59

Hannah McCurley

Stampin’ Up! UK Independent Demonstrator